36738 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 66% of adults in 36738 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36738, ~35% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36738 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36738 leans more Democratic than 2 of 6 neighbors.
36738 runs about 37 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36738 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36738. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+43) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+8), a spread of about 51 points.
Why 36738 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 36738, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural, majority-Black areas of the Southern Black Belt vote Democratic, against the usual rural pattern. About 66% of residents in 36738 are Black or African American, about 42 points above the Alabama average of 24%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in 36738 have never been married, above 89% of zip codes. 36738 runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 36738, AL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 36738 looks the way it does
Turnout in 36738 sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Alabama Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.